Sweet and Salty
by Beautiful T Jakson
Summary: In which various demigods contemplate life, love, and the absence of murderous mythical creatures bent on world domination. A drabble collection to test out my writing arm as it applies to Percy Jackson.
1. PercyAnnabeth

This is what you might call an experiment. I wanted to see if I could write a Percy Jackson fic and portray the characters realistically. I think I managed quite well, if I do say so myself. This is and always will be a one-shot. I promise. No sudden next chapters as per usual. Whether feedback is positive enough to merit other PJ fics remains to be seen.

Percy Jackson and all related characters and properties (except the Greek/Roman gods and monsters and junk) belong to Rick Riordan, who is a freaking genius. I own none of the creative property mentioned in this story.

Moving on!

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><p>How cliché is it, some kid sitting on the beach, staring out at the ocean?<p>

I mean, it's not like I'm _going_ for the whole brooding-teen-staring-at-the-ocean thing. Really. I just happen to be the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. So, naturally, I like water a bit.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain."

Of course, this makes me a bit predictable, you could say. Hey, where's Percy? Check the beach.

They might as well put up a little sign that says _Percy Parking. Violators will be fed to Mrs. O'Leary._ Great, now I need to talk to the Hephaestus guys about making one of those. Where was I?

Oh, yeah, someone called me Seaweed Brain. It's like the only pet name I let Annabeth get away with, because the way she says it makes it sound like the farthest thing from an insult.

My gorgeous recent-girlfriend plops down in the sand next to me, tucking her legs under her and resting against me, her head nestled onto my shoulder. My heart starts to hammer a bit, even after a month of hand-holding, kissing, hugging, and other touchy boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. A year ago, I would never have thought myself the dating type. Of course, a year ago, I had bigger concerns, like saving the world from Titan War II. And puberty.

I'm getting side-tracked again.

"You chatting with your dad?" Annabeth asks, her voice quiet, relaxed.

"Nah," I say, laying my head back against hers, her curly blonde hair tickling my nose before I blow it away with a puff of air. She giggles at that. "He's probably got important sea-god stuff to do. I'm just…enjoying this."

"This?" she asks, turning her head on my shoulder to look up at me. I smile down at her and toy with a lock of her hair.

"This," I repeat. "This peace and quiet. No Titans out to destroy the world, no gods messing with us, no Underworld monsters deciding they want me as the main course in a hero sandwich, pun intended."

She giggles and rolls her eyes, leaning in to plant a little kiss on my lips. "Seaweed brain," she mutters, laying her head down in my lap and staring up at me. "I get it, though. It seems like ever since you came here, things were just more insane than usual. You've never had the normal camp experience."

I run my fingers through her hair as she stares out at the ocean. The sun is just dipping below the horizon, so everything's orange and yellow. In the light, Annabeth's blonde hair is glinting like gold, her tanned skin glimmering bronze. She looks like some kind of statue of Aphrodite or something. She'd punch me if I told her this ("Leave the corny lines to Apollo."), but it's true.

"This is perfect," I say, leaning back and staring out at the ocean.

We lapse into silence, Annabeth closing her eyes as I absently run my fingers through her hair, something I started doing when I realized how soft it was. I asked her once what kind of shampoo she uses, but she just laughed and called me a dork.

"Percy?" she asks once the sun is more than halfway gone. The air is a little chillier now, but not near enough to make either of us too cold.

"Hm?"

"Do you…ever think about where we'll be in five years or ten years?"

Honestly, no. Being a half-blood's so dangerous, I'm usually glad to make it to next week.

Wait. She said "we", as in me and her. Oh.

"Well…" I say eloquently. "Probably…I dunno, rooming somewhere in New York, college, that kind of thing. I hope. A son of Poseidon at twenty is gonna have a lot of problems with monsters."

She smiles. "They'll have to get through me first," she says. "But, will I still be Annabeth Chase, or will I be Annabeth Jackson?"

I won't like, I feel a not-unpleasant jolt at "Annabeth Jackson". I grin stupidly up at the sky and can just imagine Zeus rolling his eyes at me.

"I think Annabeth Jackson has a much better ring to it," I reply, looking down to find her smiling hugely up at me, her hand moving to trail down my cheek, her fingers tickling my neck a bit.

"Good," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I happen to feel the same way."

"Hey!"

We both jump and turn to see a head of flaming red hear bobbing across the darkening beach, Rachel Elizabeth Dare's pale skin gleaming in the growing moonlight. She smiles that annoying knowing smile, stopping near us and jerking her head back toward the camp.

"Campfire time," she says. "Move it, lovebirds."

Annabeth sits up and moves nimbly to her feet while I stand slightly less gracefully, lacing my fingers through hers. Annabeth giggles as we follow Rachel, leaning in and whispering in my ear. "What about Annabeth Chase-Jackson?"

I can't help but bust out laughing at that one, earning a roll of the eyes from Rachel, who mutters something about "lovesick demigods".

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><p>Yeah, short, but it was what one might call a "drabble". Anyway, feedback is appreciated!<p> 


	2. NicoRachel

So, Sweet and Salty is now a drabble collection instead of a one-shot. But it's not really a cohesive story or anything, just a collection.

I apparently ship Nico and Rachel. Because the dark and brooding son of Hades needs a manic pixie virgin oracle to help him have some fun in life. So, this one probably takes place a few hours before the previous story. Again, just writing to see if I can get into the characters' heads. Let me know if anything seems off in the characterization.

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><p>So, this was to be her home away from home. It was actually kind of cool, in a rustic, nature-meets-teen-loft kind of way. Apollo wasn't a bad interior designer (though his poetry skills were a bit lacking), she mused as she plopped down on her new cushy bed, the sheets stark white, as per her demand. She had a case full of fabric paints and sponges and was itching to set to work.<p>

She heaved a small sigh as she stared at the opposite wall of her little cave, which housed a floor-length mirror, showing her own reflection staring back at her. She curled her bare toes over her other foot and stuck her bottom lip out, blowing a puff of air out that sent a stray lock of her fiery hair out of her face.

"Virgin Oracle of Delphi Rachel Elizabeth Dare," she said to herself, canting her head to the side and staring herself down. "Can you handle it, Rach? No sex, no romance, no boys."

"You know, those three aren't mutually exclusive," a new voice said, and Rachel screamed, withdrawing onto her bed as a pale boy with obsidian hair peeked around the curtain.

"Should I have knocked?" Nico asked.

"Yes!" Rachel shouted at him, glaring. "What if I was naked or something?"

"Why would you be standing naked in your room talking to yourself at three in the afternoon?" Nico asked.

"I'm sure that's none of your business," Rachel snapped back at him, standing. "Can I help you with something?"

Nico shrugged, leaning against the mouth of the cave. Rachel noticed he was wearing his favorite color: black. A black aviator jacket (seriously, those were out of style when her father was born) over a black V-neck shirt and black jeans. With black shoes, of course. "I was told to see if you needed any help moving things around."

"Would this be you helping me or some undead skeleton moving crew?"

Nico chuckled, a little smile quirking his lips. "You scared of a few bones?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm possessed by a like five-thousand-year-old snake thing that hijacks my body to tell the future. A few skeletons, I can handle."

He had a husky laugh, she noticed, and his left cheek dimpled a little when he smiled for real. "Brave girl," he said, stepping inside. "Anyway, do you even need help? Looks like you're doing okay."

Rachel shrugged and did a circle, staring around at her room. "It looks alright," she said. "Apollo was going on about feng shui and making sure that my furniture was arranged in a seasonal manner, so I think if he visits and finds out I moved something, he might start to cry."

Nico laughed again, and Rachel couldn't help but giggle herself. It was nice to see Mr. Moody Prince-of-Darkness loosen up a little. "Anyway," he said, "the three aren't mutually exclusive."

Rachel was puzzled for a moment, but then she remembered what she had been saying when he first arrived. "About boys and romance and sex?"

"Yeah," Nico said, his pale face pinking just a little. "The Oracle has to remain a maiden, sure, but that doesn't mean you can't have an emotional relationship with someone."

She laughed at that. "I can picture my eHarmony profile now," she smirked. "'Sixteen-year-old girl seeks boy for celibate relationship. No sex allowed, or I lose my ability to see the future.'." He rolled his eyes at that. "Anyway, it's not even a big deal. I don't need romance or boys to be happy in life. I'm one of the few normal mortals to ever rub elbows with gods and demigods. That's pretty awesome."

Nico shrugged. "Suit yourself. I would count love out yet, though. It may be against the rules for the Hunters of Artemis, but the Oracle just has to remain a maiden. And plenty of guys would be okay with not having sex. At least they'd know you're not cheating on them."

Rachel huffed, unable to believe that she was really having this conversation with a boy she didn't actually know all that well. "And what about you? Would you date a girl knowing that you could never, ever, ever have sex with her, at least until she's like forty or fifty and finds a new girl to take over Oracle detail?"

"Sure," he said, not hesitating, though his face was reddening quickly, and he seemed very interested in a Beatles poster tacked on Rachel's wall. "Long as I knew she cared about me, that I was the most important person in her life, all that mushy stuff."

It was only then that she managed to put the pieces together. "Oh. Um…oh…. You…?"

"Forget it," Nico said, shaking his head and turning to the exit. "If you need any help, look me up, but I need to – "

"Wait," Rachel said, standing and grabbing his arm. Her hand slid down and grazed his fingers, which eere cold despite the fact that it was June and pretty warm out. "Nico…. I barely know you, okay?"

"It's fine," Nico said, looking at her over his shoulder.

"And…you're a bit younger than me, so there's that to consider."

"Rachel, seriously, it's not even a big deal."

"Let me finish, dummy," Rachel said, and Nico turned to face her. "There's all that, but…you seem like a sweet boy. You offered me an undead moving crew."

Nico gave another husky chuckle, and Rachel tugged at his wrist, stepping closer and smiling up at him.

"Do you wanna maybe go for a walk along the lake or something?" she asked, already leading him out of the cave. "It's a nice day, and you look like you could use some sun."

Rolling his eyes, Nico followed her. "No amount of sun will ever tan a son of Hades."

"Challenge accepted."

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><p>Aw, Nico's got a crush. Anyway, I tried to look up stuff about the Oracle of Delphi, but like most Greek myth's, it's a wee bit vague. So, I ran with that.<p>

Reviews are welcome, as well as any suggestions you may have on future little drabbles.


	3. JasonPiper

So, I was recently ill. A bug's been going around work, and I caught it off this girl from cosmetics. But, even through sickness, I managed to join my family in a trip to the mall a state over, where I purchased_ The Mark of Athena_ and_ The Serpent's Shadow_.

Shortly after that, my sickness progressed to where I was confined to an easy chair in the living room with no computer, no internet, and a DVR full of old Guy Code episodes. Settling in with some NyQuil and cough drops, I read through MoA, whereupon I almost felt a little emotional tug at the final pages. Now, having recuperated to the point of the sniffles and the occasional cough, my appetite Percy Jackson has been whetted, and I'm rereading _The Lightning Thief_ while looking for some good Percy Jackson fan fiction.

To my dismay, there isn't much.

So, I wrote this in like an hour.

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><p>"How's Leo doing?"<p>

Jason rolled his eyes, and Piper felt her lips widen in a smile as he merely shook his head, joining her in her walk through the camp, aiming nowhere in particular.

"I swear, if he doesn't kill himself from overworking, he's gonna kill the next person that tries to offer him help," her blonde almost-but-not-quite-boyfriend sighed, running a hand over his hair. He'd recently let the Aphrodite girls cut it for him (they'd appealed to Jason through Piper, because "all you have to do is give him the weepy-eyes, and he'll do whatever you say!"), so it was now mere millimeters in length.

"Why don't you ever grow it out?" Piper asked, running a hand over the bristles, and she saw his face pink a little, making her blush as well. "You'd look good with long hair."

"Long hair is a liability in battle," Jason replied instantly, the words sounding automatic. She blinked, unable to really think of anything to say, and nodded. He glanced at her, seeming to spot her discomfort, and smiled.

"Sorry," he said. "Roman stuff. Short hair isn't a _requirement_, but if you let it get really long, the senior legionnaires just stare at you, judging you."

She giggled, and he chuckled along with her. Feeling daring, she reached over and snagged his hand, lacing her fingers through his. He didn't pull away or show any signs of discomfort, though he fell silent, his expression thoughtful. She'd used to inwardly panic when he got all quiet (she'd mistaken it for moody/uninterested), but she'd long since accepted that he was just a quiet guy. As such, it was usually up to her to keep the conversational ball rolling.

"So, you have pretty much all your memories back?" she asked to break the silence, and he nodded.

"I mean, there's no gaping holes like before," he said. "I can remember where the camp is, all the people, Hannibal the elephant."

"Wait, Hannibal the elephant?"

Jason grinned. "I guess you could call him our mascot? He's way useful in battle."

Piper wanted to call his bluff, but while Jason Grace could tell a bald-faced lie without the slightest facial tick, she and Leo had long since come to the conclusion that he couldn't tell a joke to save his life. They suspected it was a Roman thing; perhaps they all gathered together on Tuesdays and watched DVDs of awkward comedy routines.

She was getting sidetracked.

"So, what about, um…Reyna?" she asked, and Jason stopped in his tracks, Piper wincing, a small bubble of panic swelling in her chest. Easy, Piper.

"Reyna," he muttered. "Almost forgot I told you about her."

Piper certainly didn't forget. Jason had brought up Reyna during a stargazing session one night, just as she was making a move toward their first real not-Hera-Mist-memory-implant kiss.

C'mon, a girl could only wait so long before she started sending out some gentle nudges. She wasn't outright declaring that Jason had better choose between her and "that harlot" (as her fellow Aphrodite members called Reyna) and wasn't trying to seduce him like the protagonist in some emo teen romance fantasy.

She was just…tired of this weird in-between stage, not quite going out, but not just friends anymore.

Back to the present moment, she gave Jason's hand a squeeze. "Sorry if…it's painful to remember her."

He shook his head, giving her that heart-melting smile that made some of her cabin-mates swoon.

"I remember Reyna now," he said, staring out at the strawberry fields, watching the satyrs prance through the trees, reed pipes tweeting the daily bug evacuation. "Just before…all this…I was made praetor. That's basically the highest position of authority at Camp Jupiter. There are always two. One boy, one girl, and they usually wind up a couple."

"Oh," Piper felt her heart sink, staring down at his chest. "Um…oh…."

She felt his fingers brushing her cheek. "Pipes, look at me."

She didn't want to; her eyes were stinging, and she knew if she looked up at him, the tears would start to flow. His finger went down and curled under her chin, pulling her face up to meet his. He was still smiling at her, his chiseled face as handsome as a sculpture.

"I was only praetor for a little while," he said. "Before that, Reyna and I were friends, but we didn't really talk. After I made praetor, we got closer, yeah, but nothing ever happened. It might have, but it didn't."

"Because of Hera," Piper grumbled. "She took you away."

"And put me with you," Jason said. "Piper…. I like you. I like being with you, even if we're just walking around like right now. I like…I dunno, you make me feel…comfortable. Like I don't have to _be_ anything. I can just be Jason Grace, and that's enough for you."

"More than enough," Piper whispered. "But…none of this would've happened if you hadn't been taken away from Camp Jupiter. You'd probably be dating Reyna by now."

"But I'm not," Jason said. "I'm here with you. So what if our relationship needed a little divine intervention? It'll be a fun story to tell new couples we meet."

She laughed at that, and he felt his chest shaking as he chuckled against her. When had he wrapped his arms around her? Gods, this felt nice.

"Pipes…I want _you_," he said, and she felt a thrill in her stomach. "I want you to be my girlfriend for real."

"Okay, but don't kiss me yet," Piper said, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his chest.

"What?" Jason asked, sounding surprised. "Why not?"

"Because I'm crying, and I'm all gross," Piper said, and if she sounded petulant, so what?

She wanted her first real kiss with her new real-actual boyfriend to be perfect.

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><p>I can't quite get a handle around Piper and Jason, so I thought I'd kick this one out to see if I could find them. They still elude me.<p>

Apparently, somewhere between SoN and MoA, they cemented their "couple" status, but it wasn't shown, so this is my version.

Also, _Serpent's Shadow_ was pretty good.


End file.
